Don't we have a treat for you guys!
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Tony Boutagy from @boutagy_fitness has been a mentor, coach and leader to many of the team here at Performance PT. Luckily for our audience, Tony has taken the time to answer some of our questions in our first guest blog for 2018!
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Click the link in our bio to read on. Tony tackles the big questions on carbs, gut health, muscle preservation for fat loss clients, and hormones.
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Well worth reading if you want to get the best results from your training and nutrition.
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#guthealth#carbswontmakeyoufat#tonyboutagy ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I planted a Queensland Bottle Tree in my garden last week.
It’s an Australian Native tree that has this unusual bottle shaped trunk. I’ve seen a few growing in Macarthur. There is a beauty in Elderslie and a smaller one in the Main Street of Menangle. They are a collectors plant. I’ve been thinking about planting one for ages but the kids kick the soccer ball sometimes in the place I had in mind.
I brought it home, sat it in the position and then walked around it for a while.
Changed my mind the next day and planted it somewhere else.
I’m hoping the bottle like trunk screens my neighbours junk pile. It will take at least 5 years to form a slim bottle like trunk.
10 plus years before it looks like an ad for XXXX.
I’m planting this tree for tomorrow. #queenslandbottletree#bottletree#brachychitonrupestris#trees#collectorplants#gardenreleaf#gardeningaustralia#betterhomesandgardens#gardeningaustralia#timsgardencentre#campbelltown

Why visit?
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#whistlestop_innerwest
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🔹Wangal Park is located at the very tip of Mortlake, a suburb in Sydney's inner west that reaches out to the Parramatta River. Before we continue, a big thank you to @shootandspin for recommending we visit this location a few weeks ago. Being located on a point, the backdrop for Wangal Park is the Parramatta River, which provides a vibrant and everchanging backdrop, with ferries, boats and other water traffic always passing by. On a clear day, Sydney CBD can be spotted from the very top of the park.
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🔹Access to Wangal Park is easiest by car, with on-street parking easily found along Hilly Street. Bus stops are also located within 500m of the park. There are several ferry stops nearby, but they require a fair walk to reach the park. The park itself has covered seating areas, toilets, BBQ's, a little sandy beach (not suitable for swimming due to its proximity to the ferry route) and grassed areas which are mostly shaded by large trees. There are also fishing spots along the rocks that border the sand.
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🔹For those with a passion for cycling like @shootandspin, seeking new cycling routes (or walking and running routes), Wangal Park falls onto the Mortlake Vehicular Ferry Loop, an 11km loop with moderate gradient, sealed pathway or roads and features a river crossing on the famous Putney Punt (see previous posts) all while offering views of the beautiful suburbs that border the Parramatta River.
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🔹For more info on Wangal Park, shoot us a message and we'll get back to you ASAP and after a consult with @shootandspin if needed ;) If you do visit the park, share your experience with us and the WS community using the #whistlestop_australia ("selfie with the anchor monument!").

Make Monday's a little easier with This One Pan Tomato Basil Chicken & Rice! All made in one pan and so easy to prepare and takes less than 45 minutes!
RECIPE BELOW: *
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Ingredients
6 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper/capsicum, deseeded and chopped
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato strips in oil, chopped (optional: but adds flavour)
1 1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice, rinsed (arborio rice may also be used for a risotto-like consistency)
14.5 ounce (400g) tin crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (or chicken stock)
1-2 teaspoons salt (adjust to your taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper, (adjust to your taste)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
extra chopped fresh basil (to serve)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 200°c. Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof cast iron skillet/or pan (over 30 cm or 12-inches). Add the chicken, skin side down; sear for 3-4 mins on medium-high heat. Turn each thigh and sear until golden all over. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate.
2. Add the garlic; fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the onion and red peppers/capsicum; fry for about 3 minutes or until and onion is transparent. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, rice, crushed tomatoes and chicken broth (stock). Season with salt, pepper and dried basil. Bring to a simmer and allow the rice to soak up all the tomato flavours.
Place chicken thighs, skin side up, over rice. Bring to the boil; rotate the chicken in the tomato sauce to coat; cover with foil; transfer to preheated oven and allow to bake for about 40 minutes, or until the rice has softened and absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Stir through an extra 1/4 cup of water to the rice ONLY if needed (if rice hasn't cooked fully).
3. Remove cover; change oven settings to broil/grill on medium heat for a further 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is crispy and golden.
4. Season with extra salt to taste; sprinkle with freshly chopped basil to serve.